Box Score Recap courtesy of Babson College
BABSON PARK - Sophomore Cassie Ruscz drove in a pair of runs in each game, and senior Allyson Fournier became the 17th player in NCAA Division III history to surpass 1,000 strikeouts as top-ranked Tufts University swept Babson College in a non-conference softball double-header on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Field. The Jumbos (16-0) edged the Beavers 2-0 in the opener, and then used a four-run seventh inning to pull away for a 7-1 victory in the nightcap.
Fournier struck out 14, including seven of the first nine Babson (10-8) hitters, on her way to a complete-game shutout in game one. She recorded the milestone strikeout in the top of the third when she got Babson RF Lindsey Schmid on a 1-2 pitch leading off the third. She is the fifth New England player to reach 1,000 Ks.
Tufts left a pair of runners on base in the top of the second, but scored twice with two outs an inning later. Junior Christina Raso led off with a single and senior Bri Keenan followed with a one-out knock to put runners on the corners with one out. Keenan stole second to move into scoring position, and Ruscz came through with a single to center to put the Jumbos in front 2-0.
Beavers sophomore Leslie Moore recorded a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth, classmate Meaghan Merullo walked to start the fifth, and junior Madison Dinaso, who reached on an error in the fourth, produced a two-out single in the sixth. The Green and White was unable to solve Fournier though, as she finished with five punchouts over the final two innings to preserve her ninth win of the year.
Babson senior Meghan Hayes suffered the loss in game one, giving up six hits and striking out one in a complete game effort.
Tufts took an early lead in game two, scoring twice in the top of the second inning. Senior Gracie Marshall led off with a single, first-year Raven Fournier smacked a one-out double to right, and Raso followed with a double to left center two batters later to produce a pair of runs for a 2-0 lead.
The Beavers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame, as they loaded the bases with no outs and then cut their deficit in half when junior Caitie Benoit came home on Merullo's RBI groundout. Babson was unable to do more damage though, as senior Lindsey Schmid was cut down at home plate, and Jumbos' junior pitcher Erica County recorded a strikeout to leave the bases loaded.
Dinaso doubled to start the third, and the Beavers had at least one base runner in the fourth and fifth innings, but were unable to push across the tying run. Raven Fournier gave Tufts some breathing room with a two-out blast to right field to make it 3-1 in the sixth, and the Jumbos strung together three hits and took advantage of a pair of Babson errors to tack on four more runs in the seventh.
County, who moved to 7-0 on the year, scattered six hits and worked around four walks in a complete-game effort to earn the win. Beavers' first-year Ali Reilly shouldered the loss allowing six earned runs over seven innings.
Raven Fournier finished with two hits and two runs to lead the Tufts offense. Raso and sophomore Summer Horowitz also had two hits, while Marshall scored twice.
Schmid went 3 for 3, and Dinaso had a pair of hits for the Beavers.
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